Tumult in Tunisia: Labor Propels Protest

[Joanne98]

Read the news reports coming out of Tunisia and you'll see a chaotic outpouring of populist fervor, a generation of pent-up unrest suddenly unleashed against an avaricious dictator. But there's more than meets the eye behind the turmoil in Tunis.

People power can take the credit for ousting dictator Ben Ali. But in the aftermath, as dissenting factions and the remnants of the old guard struggle to set up an interim government, the power of organized labor is harnessing the revolutionary foment on the streets.

The revolution was sparked by a single act of protest--the self-immolation of a young street peddler—but that was just a catalyst for a movement that had grown increasingly restive and forceful in recent months.

The media is abuzz with speculation on how the uprising will play out—who is behind it, whether the seemingly decentralized revolt will spread or collapse under its own momentum, and the role of social networking and Wikileaks. We do know a few things, though.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelle-chen/tumult-in-tunisia-labor-p_b_812530.html